• “WE HEMORRHAGE ASTONISHING AMOUNTS OF INFORMATION in ways we don’t even think about –things we buy, places we go, incredibly personal and hypochondriac-inspiring attempts we make to self-diagnose on Google, and everything in between and beyond.” Personal info is digitally collected by governments and companies without consent, and is regularly sold by data brokers for marketing purposes without regard to validity or erroneous data. Since info may be used for “substantive decisions like credit, insurance, employment and other benefits,” the FTC is now considering regulation of such data under provisions of the Fair Credit Reporting Act – “scrutiny similar to that imposed on the big credit firms (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion)… where info is easily reviewable & revisable, and consumers are able to ‘opt out’ of certain kinds of data collection in a fashion similar to Do Not Track.” [THREATPOST.COM – June 26, 13]
  • PRODUCTIVITY IS A FUNCTION OF EFFICIENCY – the best way of using resources with least waste of time – and ‘multitasking’ impedes efficiency. “Studies show it takes 25 to 40% longer to get a job done when simultaneously trying to work on other projects… and productivity increases by doing one thing, uninterrupted, for a sustained period of time” – but not longer than 90 minutes. At that point energy levels “rise and dip due to a biological cadence known as ultradian rhythm,” so efficiency can be improved when even a short break is taken between cycles “to put fuel back into their energy tank… like a stretch, walk, listening to music, or just closing eyes and breathing deep.” [ENTREPREUR – July 13]
  • YOUNG ADULT “OVERUSE OF SMARTPHONES AND GAME DEVICES hampers the balanced development of the brain… resulting in early onset of ‘digital dementia’ – deterioration in cognitive abilities… Emotional underdevelopment in the right side of the brain affects attention and memory span… a condition more commonly seen in people who have suffered a head injury or psychiatric illness.” Estimates are that over 18% of kids aged 10 to 19 now use smartphones over seven hours daily, many having “become so reliant on electronic devices that they can no longer remember everyday details like their phone numbers.” None of this is surprising in adults, but internet addiction is increasing at an alarming rate and could become humanity’s next plague. [THE TELEGRAPH U.K. – June 24, 13]
  • LIFE INCREASINGLY IMITATES ART WHICH IMITATES LIFE. Our culture and foresight are shaped not only by the historical “archive of anecdotes, books, data and lore that shapes our understanding of where we, as a species, have come from and, in turn, where we are going… but also from fictional memories that blur the line between real and imagined… establishing a framework for limitless wonder and possibility… From augmented reality to data mining to biotech innovations, when we think of the future, we tend to think of it as something that rests solely in the hands of scientists & technologists.” But the mother of modern invention is turning out to be mostly imaginative artists and storytellers who create prototypes of the future without regard for their “implications five, ten, fifty years into the future. How will innovation X impact our relationships, cities, environment, government, or our bodies? For answers and clues, we turn to film, art and video games – creative forms that depict a world of tomorrow based on the facts of today,” unfortunately without regard for the Law of Unintended Consequences. [THE FUTURIST – July/Aug 13]
  • BODY LANGUAGE IS A PREDOMINANT FACTOR IS ESTABLISHING ‘TRUST’ according to various ‘experts.’ The newest advice: (1) Straight upright posture connotes comfort with yourself and ease in the situation, while slouching conveys the opposite; (2) Hands in pockets can convey that you are hiding something or are nervous – especially if jiggling coins or keys; (3) Raised eyebrows indicate surprise, while lowered eyebrows convey anger or frustration; (4) A loose-grip or palm down handshake shows disinterest and/or that you feel a power superiority; (5) Women prefer direct frontal approaches so they can see eyes & body walking toward them, versus men who prefer a non-confrontational side-approach. [RIA CENTRAL – June 26, 13]
  • THOUGHTS FOR THE WEEK: “Insanity is relative. It depends on who has who locked in what cage.” -Ray Bradbury

    While 75% of Americans say they’re living paycheck to paycheck – a third with zero savings and half with a six-month cushion – America is destroying $7 billion of military equipment “too expensive to ship home from Afghanistan” and some 12 million people around the world report investable assets above $1 million aggregating more than $47 trillion.